Smile

What makes Leah Leach smile? “Books,” said the 43-year-old Noblesville resident. “I love books, anything with tactile, paper and learning something new.” She started the Gal’s Guide Library in 2016, and the library became a reality in 2020. It houses the first women’s history library in the United States. Bookshelves surrounded her in the Gal’s Guide Library, located in a room on the second floor of the Nickel Plate Arts Campus in downtown Noblesville. “We have about 5,000 books in the collection now.” How’s the foot traffic? “We get regular traffic … Whenever Nickel Plate is open, we are open as well. It’s a small but mighty library to come and check.” Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and by appointment Sunday-Tuesday. Who mans the library? “I’m in here most of the time. If I’m not, my glorious volunteer Barb is.” Leach was most recently found participating in Fairyville at the Nickel Plate Arts Campus. Leach also does torn-paper art. And she hosts book signings. She has two kids, Samantha, a Noblesville High School student, and Kami, a Ball State University student, “and a wonderful husband named Josh who loves to manicure our lawn.” What else? “My daytime gig is this, and I’m pretty much always here … This is my passion and this is what I’m excited about. If I’m not here, I’m at home either painting or reading.” When her daughters were younger, Leach was a filmmaker and part-time stay-at-home mom in between filming seasons. She retired from filmmaking in 2016. There is also a Gal’s Guide podcast, too. “Otherwise, we’re rockin’ the library and having fun.”  For more about the Gal’s Guide Library, visit galsguide.org.